Fern Brady is a fiercely funny and provocative comic, with an invigorating ability to combine eloquence and bluntness. A Guardian columnist and accidental spokesperson, she talks here about managing her anger, her frustrated attempts to make friends, and why she’s often surprised to hear that she doesn’t give a fuck…

A lot has changed since Old Tone’s last appearance on the podcast. He’s clean, sober and re-launching, but no less of a uniquely hilarious act.
We talk about how he’s trying to extract value from everything in his life, and look back on how, like Obelix, he fell into the potion…

Jonny Donahoe and Paddy Gervers are political musical comics with real jokes, real music and real politics. Regulars on R4’s The Now Show, and creators of iTunes chart-topping “The Farage Song”, they discuss the creative dynamic behind their work, and profess a disgusting amount of love and respect for one another.

Legendary comic Barry Crimmins kickstarted Boston’s comedy scene in the 1980s, testified to the Senate against AOL.com profiteering from child pornography, and is to this day both a political firebrand and an intensely kind man.
We talk about his new special “Whatever Threatens You”, released this week by Louis CK; political comedy and being your own trusted source; and Barry also acknowledges the personal cost of a life of activism.

A small-town girl who realised pretty late she was a giant lesbian, Cameron Esposito has evolved into a hilarious alpha-female hero comic. We talk about body-shaming, power-stances and side-mullets, and why this next decade is going to be awesome for women…

A provocative and genuine comic, Tiff pulls apart her subject matter like a terrier, mining huge laughs from political, topical and personal subjects. We talk about agency, process and sexism, and explore the creative opportunities afforded by her stewardship of London’s “Old Rope” new material night.

As you might expect from the impish British-Iranian comic who wears her heart on her sleeve, this conversation gets pretty deep pretty fast! We talk about shifting status, manufacturing common ground with your crowd and the nature of addiction. We also discover Shappi’s recent enthusiasm for “giving love” to an audience, and what it’s like when the comedy circuit starts to resemble the playground…

Darkly silly stand-up and clown Seymour Mace channels his anger and bitterness through a lens of pure sunshine. He talks candidly about the challenges of living with depression in comedy; hating people who you know to be nice, the fear of returning to counselling, and letting yourself be happy. We also blow the lid off Cake Club…